Manatees vs. People

[PearlSB4U]

Manatees vs. People: Pick a side

A Citrus County tea party group has announced that it's fighting new restrictions on boating and other human activities in Kings Bay that have been proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"We cannot elevate nature above people," explained Edna Mattos, 63, leader of the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots, in an interview. "That's against the Bible and the Bill of Rights."

Federal officials "want to restrict the entire bay," she contended. "They don't want people here."

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/07/florida-tea-party-secret-manatee-conspiracy

 

[scooterbug44]

I choose manatees. They have both personality and "we were here first" on their side.

Nowhere in the Bible or the Bill of Rights does it advocate extinction or bad stewardship of the earth.

 

[kitlit]

Okay. Imma go with the manatees. Just so I can better understand, (I looked, but I may have not seen it) exactly what part of the Bill of Rights does this violate? And, realize that I'm going to completely ignore the part about being against the Bible.

When I was a kid growing up at the Kings Bay Naval Base in St. Marys, GA, we would take a lot of trips down to the water to see manatees when they were passing through, and our classroom even "adopted" one... We'd get pictures and updates everytime Boomer came close to the port. I've seen the pictures showing what humans boats and recreational water craft can do to these creatures, in addition to other wildlife, and I think I'm okay with banning that crap from certain areas in the interests of protecting them. Clearly, a portion of that bay has already been a preservation area for some time, and there are lots of places that aren't preservation areas where people can go.

Just my .02...

 

[Teresa]

Protecting manatees and all earth's creatures comes before boating, imo.

 

[DD]

Yep.

 

[Rita]

manatees over boats!!
.

It's their home and has been for centuries before these boaters came on the scene. Do they expect the manatees to just pack up and leave? I like the manatees way more than these people!!

 

[buster]

manatees over boats!!
.

It's their home and has been for centuries before these boaters came on the scene. Do they expect the manatees to just pack up and leave? I like the manatees way more than these people!!

Kudos to you. Sounds like we've evolved since that is NOT what they said about every other animal for centuries. Also said that about people in some places and they did expect them to pack up and leave, or die (like native Americans).